Rose, Bulls plan to pick up the aggression in Game 2

NBA MVP Derrick Rose failed to get to the free-throw line during Game 1 against the Hawks.

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

CHICAGO -- Derrick Rose. With the basketball. In the paint.

Anyone searching for a "Clue" as to what the Chicago Bulls plan to do differently in Game 2 Wednesday night to claw back into their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Atlanta Hawks can start right there. As far as the Bulls are concerned, this mystery ends here.

Besides, a fellow named Rose ought to fit right in among Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White and the other usual suspects.

In their Game 1 defeat Monday -- only the sixth setback in 45 games this season at United Center -- the Bulls fell behind 9-0. They watched or let Atlanta players pounce on early rebounds and loose balls. Rose seemed unusually passive by his MVP standards, launching four shots from 17-25 feet on his way to an 0-for-7 first quarter (we'll cut him slack on shot selection on the 61-footer with 0.1 seconds left).

Rose, in fact, did not get to the foul line -- a 19-of-21 weapon in Chicago's playoff opener vs. Indiana -- at all against Atlanta. You'd think he would want to do that just for the Bulls fans, to give them chances to belt out that "M-V-P!" chant they love so.

Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau saw it and acknowledged that Rose "settled" at times, despite his paper mismatch with backup Hawks guard Jeff Teague, thrust into starter's responsibilities by Kirk Hinrich's absence (strained hamstring). Now, there have been times when Rose has deliberately paced himself early in games, looking to involve teammates the way Kobe Bryant or LeBron James does. There have been nights, too, when Thibodeau has imposed an agenda, generally to kick-start Carlos Boozer by forcing the ball to the low-post power forward.

But this was neither. This was the second round of the playoffs, the first such opportunity for Rose, Joakim Noah and most of the other players and coaches in these roles, with this team. Flat and edgeless should not have been an option. "You don't need a motivational speech to get up for games like this," forward Luol Deng said.

They won't need one this time, anyway. Or so they have vowed.

"Be aggressive," Rose fired back when asked after his MVP acceptance and photo ops Tuesday to cite his team's single biggest fix for Game 2. "I think if we can be aggressive on both ends, especially defensively, we can get them off their game. So I think you'll see us getting to those loose balls we didn't get to in the first game. And us rebounding the ball and playing aggressive on both sides."

That was part of the failure, too, offering up a defensive performance that seemed to come from lotteryland rather than a No. 1 seed built on stops. Atlanta shot 59.1 percent in the first quarter of Game 1, 51.3 percent overall. Joe Johnson (34 points) and particularly Jamal Crawford (22 off the bench) did not draw the help from extra defenders that Chicago usually sends by instinct at this point.

"Every aspect of our defense has to be better," Thibodeau said. "It starts with the intensity."

Credit Atlanta and coach Larry Drew for taking what the Bulls gave them and then forcing matters later. That early spurt for a lead that lasted past halftime was nice, but the Hawks were most impressive later. After Chicago caught and passed them in the third quarter for a 66-60 lead, Johnson fired back for eight points to get Atlanta up again, 72-71, heading into the fourth.

Then came a 12-4 spurt, with Drew tapping energy guy Zaza Pachulia, to push Chicago down further. Whatever the Bulls had gotten away with in their dilly-dally-beat-them-late approach to the Pacers wasn't going to work against the Hawks.

And now Chicago knows it. It will start with Rose. As far as the Bulls are concerned, the sooner he shoots his first free throw in this series, the better.

"He's so quick, athletic and strong that sometimes when he's getting hit, you think it's marginal contact, and he doesn't get the call," Thibodeau said after practice Monday. "He has to make the officials make the call."

A lead pipe, a wrench or a candlestick might come in handy for that.

Bench leads Thunder past Grizzlies to even series

Preview
Recap

Bench leads Thunder past Grizzlies to even series

By JEFF LATZKE
Posted May 04 2011 12:46AM

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Kevin Durant scored 26 points, James Harden led an outburst by Oklahoma City's bench with 21, and the Thunder evened their series with Memphis by beating the Grizzlies 111-102 in Game 2 on Tuesday night.

After scoring just 16 points in a Game 1 loss, the Thunder's bench tripled that amount and put Oklahoma City firmly in control with an 18-6 run to start the fourth quarter.

Russell Westbrook scored 24 and his backup, Eric Maynor, added 15 for the Thunder.

Mike Conley scored 24 for Memphis, which cut a 21-point, fourth-quarter deficit to six in the final minute.

Game 3 is Saturday night in Memphis.

Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol combined to make just five of 22 shots for 28 points - just over half their total from the opener. The interior tandem helped Memphis dominate the paint for 52 points in Game 1, but the Thunder outscored the Grizzlies 38-34 this time by deploying frequent double-teams.

The Thunder finally shook free from Memphis with the bench's big run, featuring three 3-pointers by Maynor and seven points from Harden.

Harden hit three free throws - including one after Darrell Arthur was called for a technical for bumping him in retaliation - then turned a steal into a fast-break layup. Maynor's third 3 gave Oklahoma City its first 20-point lead at 94-74 with 7:27 remaining, and Daequan Cook followed about a minute later with another 3 to bump the lead to 21.

When Maynor and Cook finally were pulled in favor of Durant and Westbrook with just under 5 minutes left, the pair got a standing ovation.

Memphis tried to mount a comeback, though, with Conley hitting two 3-pointers and converting a three-point play. Tony Allen's two free throws got the Grizzlies as close as they'd get at 104-98 with 46 seconds left, following a 19-5 rally.

The Thunder lost starting power forward Serge Ibaka - who blocked the most shots in the NBA in the regular season - to an apparent right leg injury with 2:09 remaining in the game. He hobbled to the locker room after fouling Conley and crashing to the floor along the baseline.

Ibaka had been late out of the locker room at halftime after hurting his knee late in the first half, but rode a stationary bike in a tunnel before returning to the game in the third.

Randolph, the star of Game 1 with a playoff career-high 34 points, made only two of his 13 shots and scored 15 points. Gasol was 3 for 9 for 13 points and also hauled in 10 rebounds. Randolph had nine boards.

The Grizzlies shot 44 percent and couldn't find enough firepower to counter after the Thunder hit their first four 3-pointers in the flurry to start the fourth quarter.

Still, they're heading home with home-court advantage after an upset in the opener and will continue their quest to become the first No. 8 seed to reach the Western Conference finals.

Coach Lionel Hollins had warned Memphis at its morning shootaround to maintain focus - something he felt was lacking in a Game 2 loss at top-seeded San Antonio after the Grizzlies had won Game 1 in the first round.

Instead, the Thunder got out to a 28-17 lead after the first quarter by keeping Memphis off of the offensive glass and holding Randolph and Gasol in check. The inside tandem started Game 1 going a perfect 7 for 7, but made just one of seven attempts in the first period this time.

Westbrook had consecutive buckets and Durant hit back-to-back 3-pointers during a 15-4 run that put Oklahoma City ahead.

Memphis got back within 36-33 midway through the second quarter when Arthur made a hook shot after the Grizzlies' fourth offensive rebound on a single possession, but Durant rallied Oklahoma City to restore the lead.

He followed a fallaway 16-footer along the right baseline with a steal and a fast-break layup, punctuating it with a swinging fist pump before stepping to the line to finish his three-point play. The Thunder lead reached a dozen before Conley's 20-foot jumper in the final second made it 54-44 at halftime.

NOTES: The Grizzlies' first offensive rebound didn't come until Gasol grabbed one with 24 seconds left in the first quarter, with his team down 11. ... After the Thunder had lost at home in Game 1, Durant watched Monday night as Chicago and the Los Angeles Lakers followed suit but didn't make too much of the developing trend. "I was just worried about us and how we could get better," Durant said. ... A fan, Roman Owen, hit a halfcourt shot in the break following the third quarter to win $20,000.

A late 14-0 run lifts Heat past Celtics, 102-91

MIAMI (AP) LeBron James walked toward Mario Chalmers in the final minute with a content look.

James scored 24 of his 35 points in the second half, Dwyane Wade added 28 & the Heat used a late 14-0 run to pull away & beat the Celtics 102-91 in Game five of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night.

He punched his teammate one time in the chest. Fitting, because James & the Miami Heat have now landed blows against the Boston Celtics.

"Now the mental discipline begins," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "This thing is getting started."

Chris Bosh done with 17 points & 11 rebounds for Miami, which leads the best-of-seven 2-0.

"That's our staple. They know the only way for us to win games, in the playoffs, is to play defense," James said. "Everyone has each other's back. If man gets beat, another steps up. They made a run, a heck of a run \.\. but they kept grinding, kept playing our principles, & they finally wore them down."

Boston tied the game at 80 on a pair of free throws by Paul Pierce with 7:10 left. The Celtics missed their next five shots & Miami pulled away, taking command of both the game & the series - which doesn't resume in Boston until Saturday night.

Rajon Rondo played through a balky back to score twenty points & add 12 assists for Boston, which got 16 points from Kevin Garnett & 13 from Pierce. The Celtics have only rallied from an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-seven series five times.

Jeff Green scored 11 & Delonte West added ten for the Celtics, who got only three from Ray Allen on five for 7 shooting.

This is now the ninth time Boston has dropped the first games in a best-of-seven series. In the earlier five, the Celtics prevailed only against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1969 NBA finals.

Even for a franchise with such fabled history as the Celtics, an 0-2 deficit represents a colossal challenge.

& it is something this group of Celtics have never faced before, either.

The last time Boston lost the first games of a playoff matchup was in 2004, when it was swept by Los angeles. The current core of Celtics had lost Game 1s other times before this series, then bounced back to win Game five each time, against Chicago & Orlando in 2009, then Cleveland & the Lakers in 2010.

Not this time.

"Nothing they can do about it," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "We've got a third game & they have got to take care of that. Regardless of the past is, it is. They have won games at home. But they cannot let them play like this, or it is going to be hard at our place."

To win this series, Boston will require to prevail times in a five-game span - which it did in the first round against Miami last year, then again in the second round at the expense of James & the Cavaliers in the East semis. So it can be done, but neither James (7-0) nor Wade (5-0) has ever been part of a playoff series defeat after their clubs won the first games.

"This is a great team they are going against right now," James said. "We're trying to give ourselves a lovely chance to win, try to keep on attacking them, playing as hard as they can defensively, trying to wear them down throughout the game, but it is a great team."

The Celtics had over a chance to keep away from the 0-2 hole.

James scored 12 points in the third quarter, over he managed in the first half, to help Miami take a 72-67 cushion in to the final 12 minutes. James then added the first basket of the fourth, but Boston answered with a 13-6 run over the next three minutes to knot the game at 80.

That is when Miami's giant run began, including a three-point play where James dunked & got fouled after Joel Anthony kept an offensive rebound alive. Chalmers started it all with a 3-pointer - his only points of the night - off a pass from Wade, & Miami was on its way.

Miami's rebuttal was swift - & crucial.

Jermaine O'Neal had a chance to finish Boston's drought with three:53 left, but his dunk was partially blocked by Anthony & bounced off the rim. James hit a long jumper from the left corner 17 seconds later, pushing the Heat lead to 92-80, their largest to that point.

"Great trust," Spoelstra said.

Miami led 27-26 after the first, & giving up that lots of points likely didn't sit well with either side.

The defenses finally arrived.

Think about: Over a span of 7:21 of the second quarter, the Heat managed only five points. & that was over Boston did.

The Celtics missed 14 of 15 shots in stretch of the second, clearly out of rhythm. Pierce went to the locker room late in the first quarter to ice down his left foot, & for early stint Boston had a lineup of Green, West, Glen Davis, Von Wafer & Nenad Krstic on the floor together.

But by halftime, the offensive fireworks returned.

Green had five points in the first quarter, a team high to help Boston keep pace. Meanwhile, Miami missed three straight shots in the coursework of span of the second.

Wade jab-stepped his way around Garnett - faking him badly - for a three-point play, then used some more fancy footwork to get free of Allen for a 3-pointer & a 47-40 lead with five seconds left in the half. Rondo made a pair of free throws with 0.9 ticks remaining, after referee Greg Willard determined he was bumped at midcourt by James Jones.

"We must discover a way to finish quarters better," Rivers said.

NOTES: All-Star guard Chris Paul sat near the Heat bench, with longtime James confidant Maverick Carter. \.\. Shaquille O'Neal (calf) was out again for Boston, while the Heat said Udonis Haslem (foot) still "isn't ready" to return from November foot surgical procedure. \.\. Pierce played 33 minutes, giving him three,259 in his Celtics playoff career, passing Dennis Johnson (three,258) for seventh in franchise history. \.\. Heat guard Mike Bibby's steal with 41 seconds left in the first quarter was his 100th in 87 playoff games.

Grizzlies-Thunder Preview

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The arrival of Kendrick Perkins was expected to give the Oklahoma City Thunder the kind of inside muscle they needed to stand their ground with a number of the NBA's beefiest large men.

In the opener of their Western Conference semifinal series with Memphis, it was the Grizzlies who did the bruising.

Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol combined for 54 points and 23 rebounds in leading eighth-seeded Memphis to a road victory in Game one for the second straight series. The Grizzlies got 52 points in the paint, over any team but the Los Angeles Lakers have scored against Oklahoma City with Perkins in the lineup.

"They played physical, they bullied us in the first game," guard James Harden said after practice Monday. "So, the second game, we must prepare and go out there and not make excuses and win a game."

Game three is Tuesday night in Oklahoma City.

The Grizzlies, who led the NBA with 51.5 points per game in the paint, averaged a whopping 59 against Oklahoma City while winning the regular-season series 3-1. The Thunder's only win came when Memphis scored 60 points inside but went 10-for-38 outside the paint, including one for 15 on 3-pointers.

Randolph has set the Grizzlies' playoff scoring record in back-to-back games, with 31 points in Game 6 against top-seeded San Antonio and then 34 - along with ten rebounds - in Game one at Oklahoma City.

"We must pack the paint," Harden said. "Pack the paint, clog it up, make them shoot outside jump shots. They lead the league in paint points, so they must cover that up."

"I think Zach showed you how much they can do in the event that they don't double-team him," teammate Darrell Arthur said. "And in the event that they do double-team, he is such a great passer out of the post that it doesn't matter."

He has had 3 games with at least 30 points and ten rebounds against the Thunder.

He was better known for some run-ins with the law. But after bouncing from Portland to New York to the Los Angeles Clippers, they has found a slot in Memphis.

Randolph has become of the stars of the playoffs, a player with no history of postseason success in the coursework of his 10-year career leading a franchise that had never won a playoff series until knocking off top-seeded San Antonio a few days ago.

Randolph has looked unstoppable, even against a front line that added Perkins - of the NBA's top low-post defenders - at the trade deadline in February. The move allowed Serge Ibaka, the league's top shot blocker, to move from middle to his natural power forward position.

"I think Zach is the epitome of life," Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said. "When we are young people, they make mistakes. They do things that they should not do, and they grow and become better men. Whether it is in this game or in life, that is what this world is all about."

Coach Scott Brooks thought the Thunder did a respectable job of getting Randolph and Gasol out of the areas where they are strongest, but it still wasn't lovely .

"Zach made four shots from the perimeter. There is nothing you can do about that, other than pushing him outside a few additional feet and crowding his space. Gasol made jump shots, and that is not his strength of his game," Brooks said. "But they made them and give them credit. They stepped up and they made those shots."

Gasol went four for four on jumpers from at least 14 feet and Randolph hit four jumpers from at least ten feet out, including a 3-pointer.

"We can shoot the ball, pick and roll. It ain't coming down and throwin' it in the post," Randolph said. "We can do different stuff lots of the other large guys cannot do."

"It wasn't nothing like they had lots of shots in the paint. They hit lots of outside shots (Sunday) - contested, hard shots at that - so you are not overreacting to nothing," Perkins said. "I feel like they didn't play our game.

Perkins said "that wasn't Thunder basketball (Sunday), and it is going to be a different game tomorrow."

"I don't get much concerned about what the other team's doing. I am always concerned about what they do."

The Grizzlies - who led the NBA in steals and turnovers forced - also scored 23 points off of 18 Oklahoma City turnovers and 22 second-chance points off of 17 offensive rebounds.

Brooks said they was hesitant to double-team Randolph much because he is become a quality passer when the Grizzlies send players cutting to the basket.

"That has to alter," Brooks said. "We must get better in those areas because that is their strength, and they had their way with their strength. They don't need that to happen."

"There's only so lots of things you can do on a basketball court," Randolph said. "They could double-team me and push me baseline. There is only things. I have seen  anything, so I will be prepared for whatever they throw at me."

Celtics-Heat series hinges on Rondo's role as exploiter

Rajon Rondo must force the Heat's best defenders to guard him, creating opportunities for teammates.

Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images

MIAMI -- Before the Ejection, there was the Rejection, the Game one moment that helped explain what this playoff series is and will always be about.

Rajon Rondo, artful Celtics point guard, drove hard to the rim and was met at the moment of truth by a determined LeBron James. Next came a sound, a loud smack, created by the only kind of violence allowed and even encouraged in the NBA.

"I don't know if I have ever seen Rondo get run down like that," gushed Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.

LeBron slapped Rondo's shot harder than a scorned woman does a man's face. And then, much later, after Paul Pierce was relegated to doing his cursing in the visitor's locker room,  LeBron stripped Rondo from behind and tossed a court-length pass to Dwyane Wade for the layup.

So what they have in Heat-Celtics is a player who both sides agree can tilt an otherwise tightly-contested series way or another. Rondo is that valuable to the Celtics, that risky to Miami. If they has a superb game, then the Celtics are most likely headed to the East finals. If they gets whistled for fouls and trapped by an assortment of Heat players, as they was in Game one, then the Heat's path will be that much smoother.

Rondo is not the best player on the floor, not even close, . the most important.

"We cannot let up on him," promised Wade.

"He will be fine," promised Celtics coach Doc Rivers.

But that creates its own issues, because the shifting will then permit Pierce and Ray Allen to see lesser defenders.

Rondo's role is simple: They must exploit the truly lopsided matchup in the series. That is because Tim Hardaway is not walking through that door for the Heat. In lieu, they must make do with Mike Bibby, elderly and defensively-challenged, and Mario Chalmers, young and mistake-prone. Those overmatched guards will get the monster's share of the minutes against Rondo unless they manages to infiltrate the lane, break down the defense and cause hell for the Heat. Then Miami will demand reinforcements, LeBron and Wade.

Rondo had two points, six assists and turnovers, and Miami had a nine-point win. The results were related. Much was made, much actually, about Pierce getting the boot with 7 minutes left. But by then, Miami was in control and Rondo was, figuratively, out of the game. Missing Pierce at that stage of the game wasn't as damaging as the Celtics missing Rondo for virtually the whole game. They played two minutes in the first half, didn't have an assist and the Celtics were down 15 at the break.

"Early on, I think Rondo was trying to assault much. They was trying to get himself going," said Rivers, "and he is got to make sure they gets the others going as well."

So true, because life without Rondo or without much from Rondo comes with a deadly ripple effect for Boston. Kevin Garnett, for example, had baskets. The others don't see simple shots when Rondo is not causing the defense to collapse. The Celtics have come to rely that much on Rondo, who controls the tempo and very everything else offensively. He is a disruption for the other team on both ends of the floor.

"I'm not overstating (Rondo's importance)," said Spoelstra. "He was in early foul trouble and it might have affected his rhythm. You try to put bodies in front of him but they will break you down and discover a way."

Then against the Knicks in the first round, they regained his stride, averaged 19.0 ppg, 12.0 apg and 7.3 rpg and the Celtics won in a sweep.

The Celtics had nice reason to think Rondo had turned the corner from a season that fell off a cliff following the All-Star break. In his last 21 regular-season games, only two times did they reach double figures in assists. And they had 18 turnovers compared to 11 steals in April.

"Give them credit," Rondo said. "They block plenty of shots. They are very athletic. They are a nice defensive team as well. It is a different team, but we are very confident they can win Game two."

The Heat are a superior defensive team, though, and can throw different looks at Rondo, when LeBron and Wade switch off.

They won't win much, if anything, without Rondo. And he is right: Miami's defense will make him work. LeBron is quick to bring weakside help. Wade is even better equipped to guard Rondo one-on-one. Both are alert and alive and not afraid to go for the strip, with Joel Anthony around to supply a last layer of defense.

Rondo gave the impression his Game one issues were temporary, and that the Celtics are done with getting ejected (Pierce) and committing careless fouls (Rondo).

"This team has played in plenty of great playoffs series," Rondo said. "This is going to be another."

This will be a short if Rondo cannot stay on the floor or do something special when they is on it.

Chicago's Derrick Rose Wins 2010-11 Kia NBA MVP Award

Derrick Rose averaged 25.0 points and 7.7 assists during the 2010-11 regular season.

Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images

NEW YORK -- Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls is the winner of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the 2010-11 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award, the NBA announced today. Rose, who does not turn 23 until Oct. 4, becomes the league's youngest MVP, a distinction previously held by Wes Unseld, who earned the honor in 1968-69 as a 23-year-old.
Rose totaled 1,182 points including 113 first-place votes, from a panel of 120 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada as well as an NBA MVP fan vote. For the second consecutive season, the NBA and Kia Motors America gave fans the opportunity to submit their votes by ranking their top five choices through a dedicated Web page on NBA.com. The fan vote counted as one vote and was compiled with the 120 media votes to determine the winner. Players were awarded 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five for third, three for fourth and one for each fifth-place vote received.

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Rounding out the top five in voting are Orlando's Dwight Howard (643 points, three first place), Miami's LeBron James (522, four first-place votes), the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (428, one first-place vote) and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant (190).
Rose, who became the first player since Steve Nash in 2005 to win the MVP award after not receiving any votes in the previous year's balloting, led the Bulls to an NBA-best 62-20 mark. The third-year player averaged team highs of 25.0 points and 7.7 assists to go along with 4.1 rebounds. He became the seventh player in NBA history to average at least 25.0 points,
7.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds, joining Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. The All-Star guard made or assisted on at least half of the Bulls' field goals in 26 games, the highest such total for any NBA player this season.
As part of its support of the Most Valuable Player Award, Kia Motors America will donate a new Kia Sorento CUV to Meals on Wheels Chicago, which provides home-delivered meals services to people in need. Kia Motors will present a brand new Sorento to the charity of choice of each of four
2010-11 season-end award winners as part of the "The Kia NBA Performance Awards." Following this season, Kia Motors will have donated a total of 16 new vehicles to charitable organizations since its support of the NBA's prestigious year-end honors began with the 2007-2008 season.
Rose, who recorded 23 double-doubles and scored at least 30 points on 23 occasions after doing so eight times combined in his first two seasons, was the only player in the NBA to rank in the top 10 in scoring (seventh) and assists (10th). Only once in team history had a Bulls player finished in the top 10 in scoring and assists (Michael Jordan, 1988-89). Rose tallied
2,026 points, 623 assists and 330 rebounds, becoming only the fifth player in NBA history to post 2,000 points, 600 assists and 300 rebounds in a single season as he joined Robertson, John Havlicek, Jordan and James.
The NBA MVP trophy is named in honor of the late Maurice Podoloff, the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement in 1963.
The 2010-11 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award is part of a series of on-court performance awards called "The Kia NBA Performance Awards." The series, currently in its fourth season, is a significant part of the multiyear marketing partnership between Kia Motors America and the NBA, and also includes the Most Improved Player, Defensive Player and Sixth Man Awards. It also includes the Kia NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month which are awarded during the regular season. For more information on the "The Kia NBA Performance Awards" visit www.NBA.com/performanceawards.

2010-11 Kia NBA MVP Award Results

Player, Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Total Points Derrick Rose, Chicago 113 6 2 -- -- 1182 Dwight Howard, Orlando 3 57 31 16 11 643 LeBron James, Miami 4 26 39 31 12 522 Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers 1 18 32 40 12 428 Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City -- 6 10 20 38 190 Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas -- 5 3 11 30 113 Dwyane Wade, Miami -- 1 1 2 6 24 Manu Ginobili, San Antonio -- 2 -- -- 6 20 Amar'e Stoudemire, New York -- -- 1 -- 4 9 Blake Griffin, L.A. Clippers -- -- 1 -- -- 5 Rajon Rondo, Boston -- -- 1 -- -- 5 Tony Parker, San Antonio -- -- -- 1 -- 3 Chris Paul, New Orleans -- -- -- -- 2 2

All-Time MVP Winners
Season - Player, Team
1955-56 - Bob Pettit, St. Louis
1956-57 - Bob Cousy, Boston
1957-58 - Bill Russell, Boston
1958-59 - Bob Pettit, St. Louis
1959-60 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1960-61 - Bill Russell, Boston
1961-62 - Bill Russell, Boston
1962-63 - Bill Russell, Boston
1963-64 - Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati
1964-65 - Bill Russell, Boston
1965-66 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1966-67 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1967-68 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1968-69 - Wes Unseld, Baltimore
1969-70 - Willis Reed, New York
1970-71 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee
1971-72 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee
1972-73 - Dave Cowens, Boston
1973-74 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee
1974-75 - Bob McAdoo, Buffalo
1975-76 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles
1976-77 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles
1977-78 - Bill Walton, Portland
1978-79 - Moses Malone, Houston
1979-80 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles
1980-81 - Julius Erving, Philadelphia
1981-82 - Moses Malone, Houston
1982-83 - Moses Malone, Philadelphia
1983-84 - Larry Bird, Boston
1984-85 - Larry Bird, Boston
1985-86 - Larry Bird, Boston
1986-87 - Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers
1987-88 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1988-89 - Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers
1989-90 - Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers
1990-91 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1991-92 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1992-93 - Charles Barkley, Phoenix|
1993-94 - Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston
1994-95 - David Robinson, San Antonio
1995-96 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1996-97 - Karl Malone, Utah
1997-98 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1998-99 - Karl Malone, Utah
1999-00 - Shaquille O'Neal, L.A. Lakers
2000-01 - Allen Iverson, Philadelphia
2001-02 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio
2002-03 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio
2003-04 - Kevin Garnett, Minnesota
2004-05 - Steve Nash, Phoenix
2005-06 - Steve Nash, Phoenix
2006-07 - Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
2007-08 - Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
2008-09 - LeBron James, Cleveland
2009-10 - LeBron James, Cleveland
2010-11 - Derrick Rose, Chicago

Dirk Nowitzki-led Mavs rally to stun Lakers in Game 1

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LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 02: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts in the fourth quarter while taking on the Los Angeles Lakers in Game One of the Western Conference Semifinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 2, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES -- Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points and hit two go-ahead free throws with 19.5 seconds left before Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant made a crucial turnover, and the Dallas Mavericks rallied for a 96-94 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.
Nowitzki had 14 rebounds for the Mavericks, who dramatically came back from a 16-point deficit in the second half of the perennial playoff teams' first postseason meeting in 23 years.
Bryant scored 21 of his 36 points in the second half for the Lakers, but he fell down while trying to get the ball from Gasol with 5 seconds to play. After one free throw by Jason Kidd, Bryant missed a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

Top Performers

Dallas		Los Angeles
	D. Nowitzki Points: 28 Reb: 14 Ast: 3 Stl: 2 Blk: 1		K. Bryant Points: 36 Reb: 5 Ast: 0 Stl: 1 Blk: 1

Game 2 is Wednesday night at Staples Center.
Gasol had 15 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the second-seeded Lakers, who lost their second straight series opener. Their loss to New Orleans two weeks ago was much more surprising than this loss to the playoff-tested Mavs, but the Lakers' lack of poise down the stretch should be scary to anybody anticipating a threepeat.
The Mavericks trailed 92-87 with 3:32 to play, but finished on a 9-2 run -- showing all the late-game poise that's expected of Bryant and the two-time defending champions.
Lamar Odom scored 15 points for Los Angeles, which nursed a small lead throughout the second half until Nowitzki scored in the lane with 40 seconds left to trim the deficit to 94-93. After Jason Terry swiped the ball from Bryant, Gasol fouled Nowitzki on the Mavericks' inbounds play, allowing the 7-footer to give Dallas its first lead since the second quarter.
Terry added 15 points for Dallas, which struggled on the boards and in the paint before the comeback.
The Mavericks too often settled for jumpers early on, and they lost their cool with 90 seconds left in the first half after offsetting technical fouls for Gasol and Tyson Chandler, who jawed all the way down the court after jockeying for rebounding position. The Lakers leaped to a 53-44 halftime lead with four points in the final 0.7 seconds, thanks to an ill-advised foul by Terry and a technical foul on Nowitzki.
Dallas made a 20-6 run shortly after falling behind 60-44 in the third quarter, but Bryant singlehandedly kept the Lakers ahead with 12 consecutive points.
Both teams finished the regular season with 57 victories apiece, but Los Angeles won two of three in their series, including a blowout victory March 31 that was marred by several ejections. Matt Barnes was suspended for getting involved in a confrontation between Steve Blake and Terry, who appeared to shove Blake to the court after a foul.
After a brief Twitter battle between Terry and Barnes, whose sportswear company made up T-shirts commemorating the clash, both teams put aside the ugliness of their last meeting while preparing for the franchises' first postseason meeting since the 1988 Western Conference finals.
Even Lakers coach Phil Jackson and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban declined to rekindle their history of mutual sniping in the media, instead praising each other in recent days. Jackson even said Cuban would be an excellent prospective owner for the troubled Los Angeles Dodgers, although Cuban declined to comment on the much-rumored prospect before Game 1.
Both clubs finished off their first-round series in six games after splitting the first four. The Lakers blew their opener against the Hornets before finally taking control despite an unimpressive series from Gasol, while the Mavericks bounced back admirably after blowing a 23-point lead in a Game 4 loss to Portland.
Terry scored 13 points in the first half while hitting five of his first six shots, but the Lakers took a 53-44 halftime lead with a 14-2 run -- including that productive final second.
Terry got too close to Odom's last-ditch heave from halfcourt right before the buzzer, and Odom made three free throws. Nowitzki then got a technical foul for throwing an aggressive elbow under the hoop while scrapping with Ron Artest, and Bryant hit a final free throw.
Game notes
Bryant had the 81st 30-point game of his playoff career, trailing only Michael Jordan (109) in NBA history. Bryant has scored in double figures in 156 straight postseason games. ... Fans near courtside included Jack Nicholson, Eddie Murphy, Justin Timberlake, David Beckham (on his 36th birthday), Gordon Ramsay, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, January Jones, Jennifer Carpenter, singer Seal, Mekhi Phifer, Anthony Kiedis, New York Jets TE Dustin Keller and Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis.